


Unquenchable Fire

by astudyinfic



Series: Dragon's Heart [4]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Clizzy-centric, F/F, Soul Mate AU, dragon shadowhunters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-01-05 10:04:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12187893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: With five hundred years worth of memories, Clary knows she's had a lot of good days.  Even great ones.  But despite her mother going missing, her best friend being turned into a vampire, finding out her father was a genocidal maniac and her long-dead boyfriend was actually alive and immortal, Clary knows that meeting Isabelle Lightwood that day made it the best day of her entire life.Clary's POV for myDragon's Heartseries. Maybe read the main fic first.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The Clizzy centered contribution to my [Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/23047899) series. Probably should read the main fic to really understand what is going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Considering how much pain everyone is suffering from in the last chapter I posted of DH (Ch 27), I figured it would be nice to give a fluffy, happy chapter for each couple to make up for it. Here is the Clizzy one (and the beginning of the Clizzy fic)

With Alec basically living with Magnus now and Simon dragging Jace to visit the Hotel, Clary and Izzy found themselves with a quiet moment alone in the apartment that usually bustled with activity.  Clary curled up on the couch, flipping through photos on her phone while Izzy ordered them some dinner.  Even after a couple short days, Clary was inclined to believe Jace and Alec when they told her not to eat Izzy’s cooking.

She didn’t hear Izzy return, too focused on the picture in front of her. “Is that your mom?” Izzy asked, taking her seat next to her.  Jocelyn smiled out from the picture, Clary and Luke both crammed into the small frame as well.  They all looked happy and Clary longed for a return to moments like that.  While Clary was ecstatic to have Izzy in her life, she missed her mom.

“Yeah.  She’s an artist and owns a small shop in Brooklyn.  Luke is a cop, as you know.  He doesn’t live with us but he might as well.  He’s always over at our place.  Mom loves him, even if I’ve never heard them say the words to each other.”  Sometimes the words weren’t necessary.  With a love like the one Jocelyn and Luke shared, Clary thought it was obvious to everyone who saw them.  “Now that I can remember, Luke has been around my whole life.  He helped me take my first steps, cheered me on for my first flight.  I barely remember my dad but I have centuries of memories of Luke now.  He stayed with us even though he could never be my mom’s official mate.  Even when I didn’t know the whole story behind their relationship, I always wanted one like that.”

And now she had it.  Looking at Isabelle, Clary saw the person she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.  She was beautiful, intelligent, fiercely protective and fun to be around.  She was the type of person Clary wanted to be and wanted to love.  And here she was, sitting next to Clary and looking at her like she was the reason the sun rose and set every day.  “Tell me more about your mom,” Izzy smiled.  “You obviously love her very much.” 

Clary nodded, “I do.  She’s my life.  She’s the kind of person who will always be there for you, will sacrifice anything to ensure my happiness.  Everyone loved her.  My friends always liked hanging out at our house.  When Jace and I were dating, he would bring flowers for both of us.  I used to joke that he only loved me for my mom.”  Clary chuckled, knowing it wasn’t the case but wondering if something like fate had brought her and Jace together.  While they weren’t meant to be as lovers, their lives would be forever intertwined.  “My mom loves with everything she is, and now I know she was willing to die to save me. I am still upset about what she did with my memories but at the same time, it’s so very much like her.  She thought she was protecting me.  How could I fault her for that?”

“So you aren’t mad?”  As much as Izzy loved her family, if they had kept five hundred years of memories from her, she would have been furious.  Thankfully, both Jace and Alec knew that Izzy had a temper and could be downright terrifying when she wanted to be.  Alec once joked that Shakespeare’s line  _ Though she be but little, she is fierce _ was written about his beloved sister.

With a laugh, Clary shook her head before leaning against Izzy, “Oh, I’m pissed and when we find her, we are going to talk until she explains why she thought it was okay to keep that many memories from me.  I mean, what could I have done with my life if I hadn’t relived the same two years over and over again?”  Clary had her art and now that she could remember all those years she lost, there was a definite improvement to the point she should have realized no eighteen-year-old should be that good at art.  But considering Jocelyn’s artistic talents, Clary never thought anything of it.

She sighed, “But I do understand.  If she thought my father was still out there, if she knew what he did to all the others of our kind, I understand why she did it.  But I feel like there could have been a compromise somewhere.”

Isabelle pulled her close, drawing her in for a kiss.  “As much as it pains me to say, everything that happened led us to each other.  Maybe we would never have met if things hadn’t worked the way it did.”

“After my father’s genocide,” Clary pointed out.  “If we all could have stayed in Idris, lived our lives in our homeland, maybe we would have met centuries ago.”  They both sighed, curled together on the couch, lost in thoughts of what could have been. 

After many long, quiet moments passed, Clary kissed Izzy’s cheek.  “My mom is going to love you.  I remember her telling me again and again that someday, I would find someone who would love me utterly and completely.  That when we met it would be like lightning struck and nothing would ever be the same.  I thought it was just fanciful, romantic talk, but here you are.”

“Here I am,” Izzy agreed.  “Did she ever explain soul mates?  It was one of the first things our mother told us about, the bedtime story Alec and I grew up listening to.”

Shaking her head, Clary sighed.  “I’m not sure if my mother was very big on soul mates considering she couldn’t tell which man was hers and in the end chose the genocidal maniac as her mate.  Maybe I could ask Luke what really happened.  He’s been pretty open about everything so far.”  Though, talking about the love of his life mating with someone who cursed you for eternity and then killed all your friends and family might be a bit more difficult to discuss. 

When she thought about what Izzy said, she curled closer and asked, “Tell me about your mom?”

“My mom was amazing.  Stronger than any dragon I knew.  When Jace got kicked out of the Wayland clan, realizing he wasn’t one of them, my mother took him in without question.  She raised Alec and me, and our little brother Max.  She died protecting him because he was still too small to protect himself.”  Izzy wiped away a tear, resting against her girlfriend.  

“She and my dad led the Lightwood clan for years.  They were so proud of my work as a healer and talked about how great a leader Alec would be one day.  When we were attacked, my father gave his life to save me and my mother did the same for Max.  Dad was successful but Mom was not, despite how ferociously she fought.”  If Izzy closed her eyes, she could picture the day as if she were there.  The noise, the blood, the terror.  She’d been sure she was going to die and the only thing that gave her hope was that Alec wasn’t there; that he would be safe. 

“Alec was training with my father to be the next head of the Clan.  When the attack started, he was the one they sent for help because they knew they could trust him. He would have died fighting if that was what they wanted but instead, he followed their orders and, thankfully, survived. It’s one of the reasons I love my brother more than anything.  He can be grumpy and rude at times, but I know he will always be there for me.  His love for family outweighs everything else in his life.

“And then there is Jace.  While Alec always tried to keep us in line, Jace was the one I turned to when we wanted to have fun.  He’s my best friend and my brother and I love him.  It’s strange seeing him with Simon.  We always knew his soul mate wasn’t dead.  He saw human eyes while Alec and I saw dragon eyes.  Or, at least, what he thought were dragon eyes.  So when all our kind was killed, we thought he would be the only one to find the person he was meant to spend his life with.  The only thing we worried about was that they were mortal and Jace would lose them almost as fast as he found them. Thankfully, vampires are real and Simon is one and they can live happily with the two of us and Magnus and Alec.”

Overcome, Clary swung one of her legs over Izzy’s lap so she was straddling her girlfriend.  Taking Izzy’s hands in her own, Clary kissed her, softly at first but growing in passion every moment it continued.  “Forever,” she murmured, as Izzy took control of the kiss and her lips traveled down Clary’s pale throat.  

“Forever, Clary,” Izzy promised.  As her fingers dug into Clary’s hips and her kisses continued their downward path, Izzy rejoiced that this beautiful woman was hers.  

Forever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clary starts to get her memories and shares a couple with Izzy

Retiring for the night, Clary sat with the box Magnus gave her sitting on her lap.  Five hundred years of memories contained inside two hundred and fifty pearls.  Sure, it looked like a lot of them, but considering what they held, Clary expected it to be more impressive.  

Distantly, she heard Izzy talking to her and blinked turning around to look at her girlfriend.  “I’m sorry, Iz.  What were you saying?”  Clary was overwhelmed and confused and downright scared.  What would she remember?  Would they be happy memories?  Painful ones?  Would she remember her father and what he did to their people?

“I was asking if you wanted to go through a few of them tonight or if you want to wait until morning,” Izzy smiled, endlessly patient with her, something Clary was thankful for.  There was no way she was an easy one to be tethered to but Izzy looked at her like she was a blessing, not a burden.  

“What if it turns out I’ve been a horrible person that no one liked?” she asked, staring down at the pearls that glowed faintly even in the soft light of the room.  

Izzy smiled, sitting behind Clary on the bed and wrapping her arms around her girlfriend’s waist.  “Not possible.  Simon adored you if his heartbroken reaction to you not remembering him was any indication.  And Jace loved you almost a hundred years ago.  Jace might be arrogant and hard-headed, but he loves with all his heart.  He feels things so much and he wouldn’t fall for someone who was evil, or even slightly bad.  He talked about you for decades to the point where Alec and I were ready to put duct tape over his mouth, just to get a little peace and quiet.”  

Clary laughed, leaning back against Izzy.  “I think I could see how I might have loved him.  You two are alike in the best of ways.  But the ways that you are different is what makes me love  _ you _ more than anyone.”  It felt strange to say she loved Izzy after only knowing her for a few days but Clary couldn’t stop how she felt.  Though, the more she thought about it, the more concerned she became about their relationship after she got her memories back.  “What if my personality changes?  What if...?”

“Clary!” Izzy grinned.  “Stop.  Nothing is going to change the way I feel about you.  You are my soulmate and I have loved you since I was young and seeing your eyes for the first time.  There is nothing that will break the bond between us.  If you don’t want to know what you are missing from your life, that is your choice and I will support you either way.  But if don’t think that remembering your past will do anything to our future.”

Turning in Izzy’s embrace, Clary smiled and gave her a quick kiss.  “How did you get to be so wise?”

“You’ve met my brothers.  There’s the emotionally stunted one and the overly reckless one.  Someone had to be the smart one,” Izzy grinned.  Clary knew how important Jace and Alec were to her.  Before Clary, they’d been the only people in her life that she trusted.  Izzy had told her that the first night they knew each other.  Her heart soared to know she was now included in that group as well. 

Her eyes went back to the box and Clary sighed, reaching for the first one but not quite touching it yet.  “You’ll stay with me while I go through these?  I don’t think I can do this by myself.”

“Clary, I promise you will never be alone again.”  Giving a shuddering sigh, Clary nodded and reached for the pearl, gasping as the memories flooded her.  

One by one, she went through the pearls, discarding them as they revealed her own secrets to her.  She smiled when she got to one in the mid-eighties.  “I think it is best that you can’t see all of these,” she laughed.  “I think I could have done without the memory of my big hair, big shoulder pads, and leg warmers.  That is a memory that could have disappeared forever, as far as I am concerned.”  

Izzy grinned, kissing Clary’s neck.  “I’m pretty sure that I would have still found you beautiful, even if you’d permed and teased your hair to four times its normal size.”

Shuddering, Clary curled closer to Izzy.  “What did you look like in the eighties?  I bet you were beautiful even with the horrible fashion.”  Her mind felt overloaded with all the new memories that she now had, so talking with Izzy for a few moments was helping Clary regain a little of her calm.

“You don’t even want to know.  My hair was bleached and dyed to all different colors and I wanted to be Cyndi Lauper for the longest time.  I may still have some of those clothes somewhere.  I rarely throw anything out because you never know when it will be in trend again.”  Clary tried to picture Izzy like this but was failing.  Maybe Jace could get her some pictures because it seemed like something that had to be seen to be believed.

“Did you have the fingerless gloves?  I always thought those were so sexy.  I think I kissed at least a dozen girls who were wearing those in different clubs.”  The thought of Izzy wearing them made Clary shuddering a completely different way.  “If you still have those, you  _ need _ to wear those.”

Suddenly turned on, she set the box to the side, Clary straddled Izzy, pressing her back against the bed and kissing her beautiful red lips.  “If I thought we could get away with it, you and I would never leave this bed.  You are the sexiest person I have ever seen.”  The two women kissed, losing themselves in each other, the feel of their bodies moving together, their lips dancing in perfect synchronicity.  Minutes or hours later, Clary didn’t know which, they broke apart, lips kiss bruised and red, breathing heavily in each other’s arms.  

“Two weeks ago, I wanted to find someone I could date, someone who would look at me the way you do.  I thought someday I would get married and have a few kids.  We’d have maybe sixty years together before old age took one then both of us.  Finding you, knowing we have literally forever together, it is like a fairy tale.  A fairy tale where the princess gets the dragon.  Then finds out she is a dragon too.”

Izzy laughed, “You are ridiculous, Clary.  But you are right.  You are my princess and my dragon and my soulmate and I want nothing but you for all time.  I would dream about what you would be like when I was younger, but none of my dreams compared to you as you actually are.”

Looking into Izzy’s eyes, Clary thanked all the stars in heaven for bringing Izzy to her.  Soon they would find her mother and start their happily ever after.  

But first, she needed to get her memories back.

One by one, she picked up the pearls, the shock of the sensation wearing off, though she still felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of memory she was gaining.  While holding one pearl, she started to giggle, then laugh until tears streamed down her face.  Isabelle stayed close, not saying anything unless Clary wanted to talk.  But the laughter caught her off guard and she pulled back to look at her soulmate as if she might have finally lost it.  

“What is so funny?” she asked, slightly exasperated.  

Green eyes shone with unshed tears, Clary grinned at her girlfriend.  “I remember dating Jace.”  That was all she needed to say and Izzy joined in the laughter.  “What was I thinking?  By the angel, this is embarrassing.”  

“More embarrassing than teased hair and acid-washed jeans?”

“Even more embarrassing than that,” Clary nodded solemnly.  “He’s like my brother.  Remembering kissing him is just... _ weird _ .  I mean, not that I knew it at the time but looking back on it, ew!  That would be like kissing Simon!”

“Agreed.  I wouldn’t want to kiss either of them.  Though Jace is my actual brother so I suppose I can be forgiven for that one.”  Izzy grinned, wrapping her arms around Clary’s waist and kissing her neck.  “At least they kiss each other now.  Much better that way.”

“I was going to marry him,” Clary murmured, looking down at her hand and wondering whatever became of that ring.  Maybe Jocelyn hid it away someplace.  “I thought he would make a good husband.  He was brave and handsome.  It sounded like he was coming from a good family, though since we were all stationed in Hawaii I never got to meet any of you.  That would have been strange.”  Clary’s eyes grew unfocused as she rested against her girlfriend.  “I never wanted a husband, though.  It never appealed to me but I knew I had to marry a man.  But, at least between World War two and now, Jace was the only person I dated.  Probably because my mom moved me around and stole my memories every couple years.”

Izzy stayed silent for some time until Clary tilted her head back to look at her.  “I remember that time period well.  We all had relations with our same sex.  Such a thing just wasn’t an issue.  And while Jace and I liked both genders, Alec never did.  I remember when he went to war and I wasn’t able to be there near him.  You may have noticed that my brother isn’t very good at hiding what he is feeling.  He can be cold, yes, but his hopes and desires and fears are written all over his face.  I worried about what would happen to him without Jace or me there to help buffer a little.”

After seeing Alec and Magnus together, Clary understood a little of what Izzy was talking about.  He was still brusque and rude and not someone she wanted to spend time with but she could see that loving, gentle side of him whenever he looked at his soulmate.  “What happened to him?  Did he get caught?”

Izzy shook her head.  “He fell in love.  He never says it like that but he talks about the man with such reverence.  I don’t know what they thought they would do after the war but William died in Alec’s arms and then Alec got hit and ‘died’ so he moved to a small town and hid until the war was over.  He talks about the man sometimes and I’m glad that Alec managed to make his last few weeks good ones.”

The two fell silent for awhile and Clary looked at the spent pearl in her hand.  “Jace died during the bombing.  I remember crying my eyes out to my mother.  Even if I didn’t want a husband, Jace was so good to me.  I loved him.  I still love him, just in a different way.  But I didn’t want him to die.  Now that I remember him, I should probably tell him that.  Tell him that I mourned him.”

“And he mourned you.  Trust me, he has been whining about you since the day the bomb fell,” Izzy laughed, trying to lighten the mood.  “I have to wonder if you two were drawn together because your paths would cross again.  Fate works in unusual ways.”   
“You can say that again,” Clary laughed, turning in Isabelle’s arms so they were face to face.  “I almost married a man and then it turned out that his sister was my soulmate all along.”  They kissed softly, tongues meeting as they held tight to one another.  “I think it worked out for the best.  I think we are all happier the way things ended up.”

“I know I am,” Izzy smiled before kissing her girlfriend once more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during the events of chapters 35 and 36 of [Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/29231835).

The room fell silent the moment Alec and Izzy left.  No one knew exactly what to do.  What was there to say?  Alec had suffered a great trauma that no one but Luke could really understand, he’d driven his soul mate to vanish into thin air, and then stormed out of the loft with his sister on his heels.  At this point, staying put and hoping to stay out of it seemed the best option.  No one else wanted to be on the receiving end of Alec’s anger.

Clary worried briefly, considering running after them for fear Alec would lash out and hurt Izzy, but deep down, she knew he would never harm her.  They would fight, sure, but the love between the two of them was strong enough to endure anything.  Even an angry, hurt, frustrated big brother.

“So...” Simon started, only to be silenced with a look from Jace.  It was clear Jace was suffering because Alec was, but he had no more idea how to proceed than the rest of them.  Alec and she never got along, she saw him as grumpy and he hated her for some reason she hadn’t quite figured out.  But he’d always protected her, doing what was necessary to keep her safe.  And in the end, he was the one who suffered because of it.  Guilt started to eat at her and Luke wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

She looked up at him, to see him staring out over the melancholy group.  Luke asked, “When Alec runs away, where does he go?”  

Jace’s eyes met Luke’s and he shrugged.  “Lately it has been here with Magnus but before he’d always throw himself into his work.  Alec doesn’t do anything by halves and he takes his duties seriously.  If he’s upset, most likely he’s going to the museum to ‘feel productive’ or whatever it is he’s telling himself.”

“Give me the address.  I’ll go talk to him.”  No one tried to talk him out of it because it honestly felt like the best idea out there.  No one else would know what to say to him but maybe Luke could get through.  “Clary, do you think you could stay with Izzy tonight?  I’m willing to bet Alec isn’t going to want to see anyone so I thought I might invite him back to our place.”

Clary nodded and Jocelyn smiled.  “I’ll make dinner.  Tell him he will be welcome to stay as long as he wants.”  After they’d woken her, one of the stories Jocelyn told Clary was that she had stayed by his side when Luke went through this same ordeal, but that Luke had needed some time away from them.  It was likely Alec would need the same thing and they just needed to be there for Alec and also Magnus who would be suffering in his own way, being apart from a soul mate he couldn’t help or heal.

Watching as her mother and the only man she’d ever known as her father kissed goodbye, Clary smiled to herself.  With Valentine out of the way, maybe Jocelyn would finally be comfortable making their relationship permanent.  As if five hundred years of devotion could be considered anything less than permanent.  

When Jace walked Luke to the door, telling him what museum it was and where he would most likely find Alec inside, Izzy slipped back in and immediately wrapped her arms around Clary.  “He’s so mad.  I haven’t seen him this upset since the massacre.”  Isabelle’s words were muffled, her face pressed against Clary’s neck and Clary held her close, letting her girlfriend get it all out.  “I don’t know if he’s ever yelled at me like that before.”

Having seen first hand just how close the siblings were, Clary understood why Isabelle was upset right now.  But she could also see why Alec was lashing out.  Not that she felt like pointing that out at the moment.  No need to make Izzy even more upset when she was already down.  

“I feel like Taki’s. Let’s go and you can tell me what he said.”  Clary hoped the distraction of some food would help Izzy calm down and see that her brother probably didn’t mean whatever he said that made her so unhappy.

Isabelle tensed in her arms and Clary pulled back to look at her.  “I don’t know,” she sighed.  “What if he comes back here?”  

“One, Jace already said he’s probably going to the museum.  Two, Luke is going to talk to him now.  Three, Magnus technically threw us all out so we probably shouldn’t still be in his home when he gets back.”  Of course, no one knew where the warlock went but this was his loft and he would be back eventually, even if it was just to get his things.  Running into an angry warlock while trespassing in his home seemed like a recipe for disaster.   “Come on, Iz.  Sitting here freaking out isn’t going to do you any good.”  

Clary knew she’d won the argument when Izzy watched Simon and Jace follow Jocelyn out the door.  They were the only two left in a loft that had been so warm and welcoming before but now felt cold and empty.  “Should I at least call him?” she asked, taking Clary’s hand.  

“Give him time.  I think Luke can work it out.  Or at least help.  He’s good like that.”

Hand in hand, the two of them walked to Taki’s.  There wasn’t much to say.  Isabelle was clearly lost in her thoughts about her brother while Clary’s own mind oscillated between worry for Alec and joy that her father was finally gone.  For only knowing of him for a few days, he’d caused so much stress and heartache that Clary couldn’t feel anything but relief and happiness at his death.

Once the waitress led them to their table, Izzy asked, “How are you feeling?  I’ve been so worried about my brother that I forgot we just killed your dad and you killed some people.  Are you okay?”

Clary hardly thought about the people who died because of the fight.  They were in league with her father, trying to kill the only family she’d ever known.  Every life taken was taken in self-defense against heartless people who couldn’t see beyond their own ambition and greed.  “Only the last one is bothering me,” she finally said after a moment of contemplation.  “Not because I killed him because he hurt Alec and deserved it, but because I didn’t get there fast enough.  We were too happy about Valentine finally being gone that we weren’t careful.  I feel like it is my fault for not being faster.”

“Clary, this wasn’t your fault,” Izzy insisted.  “If anything, it was mine and Jace’s.  Alec has spent so much of his life protecting us that the one time he needed us to protect him, we failed him.  Alec is unique.  He would sacrifice himself if it thought that it would keep the people he loved safe, but for him to be sacrificed for no reason other than our own inattention?  It will take awhile before he forgives us for that.  I think that was what he was trying to tell me when I followed him away from Magnus’ place.  But I was so worried about him and Magnus.  He’s never had someone he loved like that.  And to watch him throw it all away, it was hard to bear.”

“He didn’t though.  They will be fine.  It might take awhile but they will work it out.”  Clary believed that utterly and completely.  Because if relationships between soulmates could fail, then what did that mean for her and Izzy?  “Couples fight sometimes.  You need to give them time to solve it on their own.”

They ordered their food, both of them lost in their thoughts about what happened and who was at fault.  Now that she could remember her life, past romances were an interesting thing to for Clary to think about.  Particularly with how they compared to the relationship she had with Izzy.  While she had no doubt she’d love the people she dated at the time, none of those relationships left her feeling as fulfilled and whole as Izzy did.  They complimented each other, even as they sat in silence, thinking about the horrific events of earlier in the day.  

“You know who deserves the blame?  Valentine.  My father brought all this on.  Not us, not Alec.  Not even the guy who stabbed him.  For all we know, Valentine had him brainwashed.  Because what human would follow a dragon who was so intolerant of their kind and his own?”  Though, having lived among humans for as long as they did, both Clary and Izzy knew there were always people that would go against their best interests in the hope that it might bring them a modicum of power.  They deserved what was coming to them, Clary figured.  Because they hurt people for their own gain.  It was only right that they get hurt in return.

A few weeks ago, Clary was a mundane teenage girl, getting ready to move to London with her mom and start art school in the fall.  Now, she knew that all of that was a lie.  Her life had been turned upside down in a matter of days.  And there was no way Clary ever wanted to go back. 

When their food arrived, it pulled Clary from her thoughts and she smiled at Izzy who seemed to be just as introspective at the moment.  “You know, Alec is going to be okay.  He’s strong.  He might be upset but it will be fine.  Just be there for him and maybe make a show of protecting him, or at least looking after him when he gets back.  It might go a long ways to showing that you do care about his best interests and not just because he protects you.”  

“I know,” Izzy smiled, stealing a fry off Clary’s plate.  “My brother is the most amazing person I know.  I’m lucky to have him in my life.”

“We all are.”  

Laughing, Izzy raised a brow.  “I thought you hated him.  Most people do when they first meet him.  Magnus might be the one exception to that.”

“I might have.”  Clary honestly didn’t know.  She’d been so mad and scared and lost.  It caused her to lash out at everyone and anyone.  Alec, as the leader of the little group, took far more of her abuse that he deserved.  “But he also had a reason for not liking me.  I can’t blame him for that.  And, he’s grown on me.”

Clary looked at her girlfriend, her heart aching at the sight.  Izzy was suffering and she only wanted to make it better, even if she didn’t know how to do it.  “How are you?  You asked me about me but I need to know you are okay as well.”

The silence that followed worried Clary deeply and she was about to say something,  _ anything _ , to fill it when Izzy spoke up.  “I keep thinking how glad I am it wasn’t me.  And then I feel guilty because Alec shouldn’t have to go through this and I should help him but there is a deep relief to know that I still can shift, that I’m still me.  And maybe that was why I lashed out a bit at him.  Because what happened, it’s our worst nightmare.  Does that make me a bad person?” 

“No.”  Clary shook her head, ginger hair rippling with the movement.  “Not at all.  It makes you human.  If you were to go up to Alec and tell him  _ better you than me _ , then I would have a different answer.  I’m relieved it didn’t happen to me too.  I think it is normal to see tragedy and feel relief that it didn’t hit you.”

Izzy smiled, reaching out to take Clary’s hand in her own.  “When did you get so wise?”  The look in her girlfriend’s eyes, a combination of hope, love, and joy, made Clary’s heart soar.

“Maybe when I gained five hundred years of memories and a smoking hot girlfriend?  I must be doing something right to have you.”

“I love you,” Izzy sighed, squeezing Clary’s hand.  “Can we just go home?  As much as I like this place, I’d feel better in the privacy of my room.”

“Of course, Iz.  And I love you, too.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set after the events of [Ch 45 of Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/31073052). Probably should read that first.

“Do you want to get out of here?”  

Clary had been crying in Izzy’s arms for the past twenty minutes and while they could hear their family laughing out in the other room, neither felt like going out there and joining in.  She knew she was being ridiculous.  It wasn’t like Luke and Jocelyn were going to love her any less just because they were having a baby of her own.  But it had always been the three of them.  Clary didn’t remember anything from when they lived with Valentine so as far as she knew or cared, Luke was the only dad she’d ever had.  But now he would have a baby of his own and maybe he wouldn’t need her anymore.  

Clary sniffled and nodded, “I do, but how?  They’re not going to let us just sneak out without saying something.  My mom isn’t one to just let things go.  But, we’re on the third floor.  How are we going to get out without them noticing?”  

Izzy rolled her eyes fondly, “Do you, or do you not, have wings?  It’s dark out.  Even if both of our scales are pretty bright, most likely no one will see anything if we fly straight up for the clouds.  Then we can go wherever you want.”  

She’d be embarrassed that she didn’t even consider that if she was feeling any better.  As it was, Clary was simply happy that one of them had a clear mind. Izzy did well in a crisis, one of so many things Clary loved about her.  “Oh, right,” she smiled, moving towards the window.  A rickety fire escape was attached right outside.  While Clary and Simon had made use of the one in the main part of the loft many times, Jocelyn had forbidden them from ever setting foot on this one unless it was an emergency.  It was too unstable and one of them could fall.  Now, knowing she could fly, the falling didn’t seem so scary.  

Izzy went first, not even bothering with the fire escape.  Clary watched in awe as her girlfriend vaulted out the window and into the air.  She shifted mid-fall and a second later, a ruby red dragon hovered in front of the window.  

Clary moved far more carefully, as she still didn’t feel completely in control of that part of her life.  Shifting wasn’t hard, just different and she didn’t want to risk her life by trying it while falling at the same time.  Instead, she stood on the fire escape, getting her footing for a moment before letting the magic roll over her.  Just before the transformation was complete, Clary pushed away from the railing and flew straight up, Isabelle right behind her.  Distantly, she heard the fire escape crumble to the ground and knew her mother would have something to say about that when they finally returned.

Above the clouds, out of the view of the mundanes of New York, Clary felt peace settle over her.  Something about flying cleared her head, rather like drawing did before she knew who she was.  Isabelle nodded her head to the north and Clary followed, trusting her girlfriend knew someplace they could go and be alone for a little while.  

The air flew past her scales and for once, Clary turned her mind off and just experienced.  The clouds were too thick for her to see the ground, a blessing since they wouldn’t be able to do this otherwise, but she missed being able to see the buildings and then, eventually, the trees.  Still, it was relaxing, just feeling the sensation of flying without any other senses involved.

When Izzy went to land, Clary touched down beside her.  In front of them, the ocean rolled as far as they could see and behind them, just trees.  They were isolated, alone, and Clary let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.

The two of them stood there, not shifting, not moving, just staring at the water that seemed so vast and deep that their problems were nothing compared to it.  Isabelle leaned over, nuzzling against Clary, their necks pressed close, and covering her with one of her wings.  It was warm and comforting, like a hug but so much more.  Clary felt a new surge of anger at her mother for taking this away from her, for making it so she spent five hundred years of her life unable to experience the joy of actually being herself.

After some time, Clary sighed and moved away, shifting back into her human form, thankful for the fire that burned inside all dragons keeping her warm.  With only the clothes she’d been wearing at the loft, sitting on a northern beach in the middle of the night would have been unpleasant to say the least.  

“Thanks, Iz,” she smiled, picking her way across the darkened beach.  A small ball of fire danced in her hands, and in Izzy’s hand as well, which made it just light enough for them to see where they were going.  Finding a washed up log, Clary took a seat, leaving enough room for Isabelle to sit beside her.  “I’m sorry about that.  Are they all going to be angry with us for just disappearing?”

“Maybe, Izzy shrugged.  “We did just leave what is basically a family celebration.  But I think they’ll understand.  Alec talked to you, right?  So if nothing else, I expect he will calm them down.”  Alec was good about diffusing situations that needed diffusing.  Izzy and Jace were much better at instigating them.  

Resting her head on Izzy’s shoulder, Clary used the fire in her hand to burn small twigs in front of them.  The salt in the wood caused them to spark in different colors, something that appealed to her artistic tastes.  “I love you, Iz.  Thank you for being here with me.”  She sighed, not taking her eyes away from the sparks.  “I’m sorry I made you fight with Jace.  Everything happened so fast.  I don’t know if I’ve ever been hit with emotions like that before.”

“One, you’ve met Jace.  If it wasn’t about that, it would have been about something else.  The two of us have been fighting for centuries and I don’t think anything is going to change that.”  Clary knew how much Izzy loved her brothers, could see the love they all shared.  It was something she was privileged to witness and privileged to now be a part of.  With the new baby on the way, she knew she would need their support more than ever.  

“And two,” Izzy continued.  “I love you, too. I will always have your side, no matter what.  Even if it is against Alec or Jace.  You are my family and they know I have your back, just as I would expect them to stand up for Magnus or Simon if I were to ever fight with my brother’s soulmates.”

“You wouldn’t though,” Clary pointed out, smiling.  “You love them both too much.”  

Izzy shook her head.  “It isn’t that.  Jace and Alec love you, even if they sometimes have weird ways of showing it.  I’ve just lived with both of them so long that I know how to deal with stubborn men who don’t know when to admit defeat.”  Clary could picture it.  Both Jace and Alec were significantly taller than their sister but one look from her and they were both cowed.  It wouldn’t be long before she had the same power over Simon and Magnus.  Because Isabelle Lightwood was a force of nature and Clary loved her with all his heart.

“Do you think I’m overreacting?” she asked.  Alec had been supportive, something Clary wouldn’t have believed him to be capable of even a few weeks prior.  Their relationship had a rocky start, to say the least.  “Should I just be happy for them?  It doesn’t seem right that would be upset over a baby.  Especially when we are the last of our kind.”

“Clary, you are entitled to feel what you feel.  I’ll never tell you that you can’t.”  Izzy smiled understandingly.  “I’m excited for the exact reason you say.  We never thought there would be another one.  I spent centuries thinking my brothers and I were the only ones left.  Now there is you, and your parents.  And soon the baby.  So, from that standpoint, I’m very excited.”  She wrapped an arm around Clary’s waist, “But I get where you are coming from too.  When my parents told us about Max, I wasn’t thrilled at first either.”  Izzy sighed, “We’re all raised with the knowledge that our parents will have several sets of kids over their lives.  Like your mom said, there isn’t really a time where we have to stop.  But, after Mom had me and Alec, I thought that was it for awhile.  I thought it would be two of us until we were grown and on our own.  Max came many years later and disrupted everything.  I didn’t want him there.  Jace had only just arrived and then Max and nothing was staying the way I wanted it to.”  Izzy took Clary's hand, running her thumb along it gently.  “But then, I looked at him and knew I would do anything to protect him.  We all loved Max, even if he caught us by surprise.  By the time this baby arrives, you’ll probably love them too.  It is okay to be upset and I will be here with you anytime you need to cry and vent and scream, or fly for hours just to get away from it all.  But I think this will turn out to be a good thing for all of us.”

Clary knew what Izzy was saying was true.  Not only did Alec say something similar but Clary could feel it already, that small kernel of excitement about being a big sister.  “You’ll be a big sister too.  Are you ready for it?” 

“Of course,” Izzy laughed, though Clary could hear a tinge of sadness in the tone.  “It’s been five hundred years since I got to be one of the older ones.  It will be a nice change.”  

Guilt ate at her.  Clary didn’t mean to be so cruel, complaining about getting a new sibling even while Izzy still mourned the loss of her own.  “I’m glad we can be big sisters to them together.  Maybe you can show me what I need to do?”  She offered her girlfriend a soft smile.  Clary knew nothing would bring back Izzy’s little brother but maybe this would help ease the pain a little bit.     
“I’d like that, Clary.  And I think you are going to be a great big sister.  That baby is going to be so lucky to have you.”  Izzy leaned in and kissed her gently.  It was easy to lose herself in the softness of Isabelle’s lips, the lean muscle under pliant skin.  As the kiss deepened, Clary shifted, throwing a leg over Isabelle’s legs and settling into her girlfriend’s lap.  “Clary, do you think we should take this home?  I love you and will love you anywhere you want, but we have a comfortable bed at the apartment, which would be better than a cold, rocky beach.”

Clary laughed, settling for one last kiss before pulling back.  “Race you to home?”

“Do you even know where you’re going?” Izzy teased shifting back to her dragon form and taking to the skies.

“Yep,” Clary yelled at her before letting the change come over her own body and chasing after Izzy.  “I’m going wherever you’re going, Iz.  Wherever you are is home.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should be read after Chapter 47 of [Dragon's Heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10438524/chapters/31454073).

When Clary returned home from a shopping trip with her mom to buy supplies for the new baby, she was confused to find her girlfriend on the couch, giggling maniacally while refreshing her phone every ten seconds.  “Iz, what did you do?” she asked with a smirk, sitting down next to her to look over Izzy’s shoulder.  “What is so funny on Instagram?”

“Nothing yet.  I’m just waiting to see which one did it first.  My money is on Alec since that was the plan, but he might have chickened out and let Magnus beat him to the punch.”

“And you think they will post it on Instagram before they tell you?”

“Magnus will.  And Alec will be too distracted by Magnus to remember to text until morning.  Which means, this is how I’m going to find out.”

Clary laughed and settled in next to Izzy.  “You could just text them, you know?”

“And where would be the fun in that?”

Curled together on the couch, Clary rested her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder, enjoying the closeness with the woman she loved.  If she was honest, Clary rather doubted they were going to say anything online that night.  Considering how difficult Magnus and Alec found it to keep their hands off one another, even casual touches just to remind the other they were there, it was unlikely they would stop their celebration just to post a picture online.

When Izzy told her she’d been helping both Magnus and Alec plan their proposal to the other man, Clary laughed.  It was so like Izzy to play them off each other so she could understand why Izzy was so interested in finding out what happened that night.  But Alec loved his sister dearly and as soon as they woke the next morning, Clary knew Alec would call her.

“Have you ever thought about getting married?” Clary asked, shooting for conversationally but missing the mark wide.  “I mean, you’ve been alive for five hundred years.  At some point did you ever consider marrying someone?”  

Izzy set the phone down and looked over at Clary, eyes sparkling as she thought about past loves.  “Twice,” she admitted.  “The first was another dragon like ourselves, from one of the strongest and most respected clans.  She had blonde hair and blue scales.  She was a strong, ferocious warrior and took out several of the men who attacked her clan before she died.  We found them still in her talons when we got to the Branwell clan’s home.”  

Clary wished she knew more of the dragons.  Even though she had regained her memories, her father kept them isolated, far from the others who might have influenced her thoughts and beliefs.  Valentine wanted complete control, something neither Luke nor Jocelyn could stand for.  Both were too independent, and Jocelyn knew she needed to get Clary away.  

One of her clearest, earliest memories was being wrapped in a blanket and hurried out of their familial home under the cover of darkness.  Valentine had gone to try to convert some of the other clans to his side and the three of them used his absence to get away.  They ran as far as they could and then Jocelyn flew, Luke on her back holding tiny Clary in his arms.

“You were going to marry her?”  Clary brought herself back to the conversation, trying to picture Isabelle with anyone besides herself but couldn’t do it.  Clary knew she’d dated other people, so it wasn’t a surprise that Izzy had as well, even if now it was unthinkable.

Izzy shrugged, “We talked about it.  Lydia’s mate died tragically young and I couldn’t find any dragon that matched my vision.  We thought maybe we could be together for awhile, chase away the loneliness.”  She chuckled to herself, “My parents actually tried to arrange a marriage between Lydia and Alec.  You can imagine how well that worked out.”

Snorting in laughter, Clary shook her head.  “I can’t imagine Alec being happy about marrying any woman.  Was this before or after you two were together?”  

“After.  The three of us hung out all the time and my parents misinterpreted, even went as far as asking Lydia’s parents for her hand.  But the three of us set them straight,” - both of them laughed heartily at that little joke - “and they never said a word about it.  I miss them.  My parents.  They were good people, who cared so much about our family and our kind.  Sure, they made mistakes but they tried to correct them.  They would have loved you, I’m sure.”

Clary wondered what Izzy’s parents were like.  She pictured a woman strong and formidable like Izzy, with scales of a similar color since Alec once said something along those lines.  She couldn’t picture the father though.  Maybe someone like Alec.  A strong leader, dedicated to his family.  That would make sense.  

“I wish I could have met them.  When I was little, before everything happened, we weren’t allowed to leave home.  Unless a dragon came to visit, we never saw anyone.  It was lonely.  I think that was one of the reasons mom left.  Even if we had to hide for centuries, at least we could have had friends, a life.  Valentine would never have allowed it.”

Clary sighed, running a hand through her hair.  “So you were going to marry Lydia?”

“I was.  But we decided that since I still had a mate out there somewhere, it wasn’t fair to tie me down to someone else.  It was an amicable breakup, but I miss her.  Sometimes it was nice to have someone to talk to that wasn’t Alec or Jace.”  

A solemn look came over Izzy’s face, one that didn’t look right there and Clary worried that maybe she’d asked too many questions.  But, seeing no other way to get Izzy to smile again, she decided to ask one more.  “Who was the other person you were going to marry?  You said it happened twice.”

Izzy laughed at that and something tight loosened in Clary’s chest at the sound.  “Meliorn.  He was a dear man.  That was the nineteen fifties?  No, the sixties, in San Francisco.  He was the epitome of a flower child.  Lived in the woods, danced around the fire, only talked in riddles.  I was so in love with him, weird as he was.  We would have married if not for two things.  One, I couldn’t bring myself to be tied to a mortal.  The pain of losing him would have been too much to bear.  And two, he didn’t believe in the sanctity of marriage.  While we were together, he was sleeping with two other women and three men.  How he found the time and energy, I will never understand.”

Clary’s eyes went huge, trying to figure out the sheer logistics of that.  “He was dating six people at the same time?  I don’t know if I should be horrified or impressed.  The stamina he must have needed.”  She shook her head, exhausted just thinking about it.

Laughing at her girlfriend’s horror over the situation, Izzy leaned in and kissed her.  “It made it a lot easier to walk away from him.  Not like he would be hurting for company without me.  Though his loneliness wouldn’t have stopped me from leaving.  He was kind of a jerk if I’m being completely honest.  I wonder if he ever settled down with someone or is still living in that park as an old man, communing with nature as he used to call it?”

The idea of a man, who had to be in his seventies by now, still living the flower child lifestyle in a part of San Francisco amused Clary.  That was one of the few places she never lived so she didn’t know if that was actually something people still did or if it would be considered extremely out of the ordinary.

“What about you?” Izzy asked.  “Other than Jace, did you almost marry anyone?”

She grimaced at the thought of marrying Jace.  He was great as a brother and someone she might eventually call a close friend, but a lover and husband he was not.  Even if Simon seemed to think otherwise. Thinking back over the memories, some of which were still a little fuzzy, Clary shook her head.  “No, I wasn’t going to marry anyone.  I dated a few people.  Mom and Luke never seemed to have an issue if it was a man or a woman, which was nice, but then they’d wipe my memory and move me around the world.  I wonder if I left a trail of broken hearts in my wake?”

“Well, you broke Jace’s that’s for sure.  We listened to over fifty years of him whining about the stupid bomb that tried to blow him up before he could marry you and live happily ever after.  I always wondered how he was going to pull that off.  He would have had to tell you and your family that he didn’t age.  Now, knowing what I do about all of you, I can’t help but wonder what Luke and Jocelyn would have said about that.”

“They probably would have killed him, hidden his body someplace and moved me to the middle of nowhere Siberia.  I’ve learned they were a little overprotective.”

“Overprotective?  They wiped your memory every two to three years for five centuries.  I think overprotective doesn’t quite cover it.”  Clary and Izzy talked about that a lot, how unfair it all felt once she got everything back. All those possibilities thrown away just for a few more years hidden from sight.  What could Clary have accomplished if she was able to live her life from beginning to end, not starting over every couple years?

Clary understood why they did it, particularly now that she had met Valentine.  He’d only gone more mad since they ran away from him back in Idris.  Her parents made the choice to protect her at the time but at some point, she wished they would have trusted her to make her own decisions.  

“They have apologized and I forgave them.  Wasn’t easy but I am grateful that they loved me that much to protect me, even if the way they did it was awful.”  And in the end, she got her memories back, so it wasn’t completely bad.

"So, all that time and you never once considered marrying anyone other than Jace?  Clary, are you going to make me question your taste in lover's?"  Izzy was laughing, so Clary knew she wasn't too upset.  Besides, it was rather funny.  She didn't want to think what it meant to her that the only two people she would ever marry were siblings.     
"Well, there was one other person," Clary said coyly, looking down at the ground and then back to Izzy.  "I'm not sure we are there yet but I would like to marry you someday, Izzy.  I'll give you the big, grand proposal you deserve but I want to marry you.  I want to be your wife and love you forever and ever until the end of time."   
The tears in Izzy's eyes frightened Clary and she reached out to place a hand on Izzy's knee, only to be pulled into a hug by her beautiful girlfriend.  "I want to marry you too, Clary.  And if that was the proposal, I would have said yes.  I don't need anything big and grand."   
"Maybe not, but you deserve it.  I love you, Isabelle."   
"And I love you, Clary."   
Clary kissed Izzy, their lips moving in a well-rehearsed dance against the other.  For all her life, Clary never knew another person like Izzy and she wondered who in the universe decided that this brilliant, beautiful, strong, sexy dragon was meant to be hers for all eternity.  "We should go to bed," she murmured against her girlfriend's lips.  The sun was beginning to rise already but she had no intention of going to sleep.  Not yet, anyway.   
Izzy's phone pinged with a new message and they pulled apart just enough so Izzy could reach for it and look at the attached picture.  Alec and Magnus curled together in bed, appearing to not be wearing any clothing.  Their eyes were heavy but sparkling as they looked at one another, and clasped between them were their hands, rings now sparkling on each one.  

Izzy had tears in her eyes and shook her head, “All I ever wanted was for Alec to be happy.  I would sacrifice everything for that.  And now, look?”  Happiness did look good on him.  

“It will be us someday,” Clary promised.  “And we can send them sappy pictures in return.”

“Please,” Izzy laughed, “ours will be sappier and cuter.  But, I am still saving this one forever.”

Some of the heat from the earlier moment was gone but it didn’t matter.  Clary stood and offered Izzy her hand.  “Let’s go to bed.  We can practice for our engagement celebration.

Izzy’s eyes lit up and she was on her feet a second later.  “I love you,” she laughed, practically dragging Clary to their shared room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brother's arrival

Knowing her baby sibling was due any day, Clary decided to start staying with Jocelyn and Luke, to be there to help however possible.  And if Clary was staying there, then Izzy was as well.  Besides being Clary's girlfriend, she was also the only one of them who was a trained healer for both humans and dragons.  If anything went wrong, Izzy was the person you wanted there beside you.  

Every night Luke made them dinner, sometimes soup and sandwiches, other nights teriyaki.  He and Jocelyn told them stories of the various adventures they'd had together.  Even when Clary was around, they still always managed to find time to go be themselves for a while.  "It wasn't easy," Luke pointed out.  "How do you leave your daughter with humans knowing at any point she might shift into a dragon and have no idea what was going on?  We ended up going right after the mind wipes because Clary was most stable then."  

She tensed whenever they mentioned the memories.  While she had them back, it would be some time before she could fully accept what was done to her.  It was for her own safety but they talked so casually about it as if it was totally normal.  

Though, after five hundred years, it probably was. But if anything ever happened and she and Izzy had children, Clary knew she would never, ever do anything like that to them.  It was too cruel and she couldn't allow it.  

"Where would you go?"  To think they'd been traveling the world without her, all the while telling her it was too expensive to do so.  And the mundane way, it would have been.  But being able to fly made things easier, Clary was learning.  She and Isabelle had taken a few flights since the night of Jocelyn and Luke's announcement.  It helped relax her in the same way painting did.  Freedom to see the world in a new way.  Clary would never give it up again.

“It feels like we’ve been everywhere.  There’s a cabin up in Canada that we would go to just to get away from the city for a few days. It was so quiet up there.  Joss could fly without risk of anyone seeing her.  Once the baby is big enough, we should all go up there.  I’d like you to see it, Clary.  We always wanted to show it to you but couldn’t figure out how to do it without telling you everything.”

“Why did you think keeping the secret would keep me safe?  Did you think I would go off and look for my murderous father just because I now knew he existed?”  

“No, we worried that he would be able to find you if you ever shifted.  He knew how to find the clans, even the ones that went into hiding.  Some were less trusting than others.  The Blackthorns practically vanished into thin air.  But he could find them.  And we couldn’t take that chance that he would find you as well.  It was either risk your life or risk you being angry with us.  In the end, it was the easiest decision we’ve ever made.”

Clary smiled.  No matter how much it annoyed her, seeing Jocelyn and Luke act like a normal, married couple was all she’d ever wanted growing up.  They always kept a small distance between them, though Clary had known since she was small just how much they loved one another.  They couldn’t hide the adoring looks, the longing on one of their faces when they had to be away from the other.  

It was a love Clary always envied and as she looked across the table at Izzy, realized she had now.  What happened in the past was in the past and she refused to dwell on it anymore.  Not with a beautiful girlfriend, happy parents, and a new baby brother or sister.  

The night her brother arrived, Clary and Izzy fell asleep in the living room watching movies.  Clary didn't even remember what it was, only that the screen cast the room in a blue glow as Luke shook her shoulder to wake her.  "Clary!  Isabelle!  Jocelyn is in labor."  

Izzy jumped to her feet and took off down the hall to their room, instantly going into what Clary liked to think of as 'doctor mode'.  Clary followed a little farther behind, her eyes bleary from lack of sleep but excitement pulling her forward even as she wished to go to bed.   

What followed was a long few hours of Izzy barking out orders as Luke and Clary jumped to obey, all three of their attention on Jocelyn whenever they had a moment.  She was obviously in pain and Clary wished she could take that away more than anything.  At the end, it would be worth it, but right now, seeing her mother hurting was almost as bad as seeing Jocelyn in that coma all those months ago.  Even now, her mother was a big part of her world and anything that might take Jocelyn away sent chills down Clary's spine.  

"Okay, Jocelyn, I think you're ready to start pushing," Izzy said, pulling Clary from her thoughts about everything they'd been through to get to this point.

For the next twenty minutes, everything was focused on holding her mother’s hand, encouraging her and coaxing her through the final stages of this pregnancy.  For months, Clary grown used to the idea of being a big sister and now it was finally happening.  “You can do it, mom.  A few more pushes and you will be there.”

With one last push, Jocelyn collapsed back onto the bed, a cry piercing the air as Clary’s baby brother entered the world.  Everyone was breathless while Izzy cleaned up the baby and wrapped him in his blanket.  “Jocelyn, Luke, meet your son.”  

The baby was tiny, far smaller than Clary expected but, she’d never seen a real newborn before either so maybe they were all like this.  HIs face scrunched up like an old man and his tiny fingers gripped the blanket he was wrapped around.  Clary never saw anything more adorable in her whole life.  

“A son?” Luke asked as if trying to be sure he’d heard right.  “I have a son?”  Izzy placed the baby in Jocelyn’s arms, who leaned against Luke.  The boy looked up at his parents and their hearts melted.  “Same name we agreed on, Joss?”

Jocelyn nodded, “Jonathan Alaric Garroway.  Welcome to the world.”  She kissed his head and the family settled in to get to know each other.  

“I’m going to go call Alec and Jace,” Izzy whispered, kissing Clary’s cheek.  “If you need me, I’ll be in the other room, okay?”

“Thanks,” was all Clary could say, too taken in with her brother and parents.  She knew Izzy would understand and would do what she could to make it up to her later.  But right now...

She had a brother.  

Clary was a big sister. 

All the bitterness from before seemed so childish and small, looking at this baby who would depend on them for everything.  And Clary would make sure he had it.  

While Jocelyn rested, Luke took Jonathan over to the changing table to get a diaper and a nice outfit, knowing Magnus and Alec, Jace and Simon would be stopping by.  Clary came to help, unable to believe this tiny person was actually her brother.  

“I remember when you were this small,” Luke laughed.  “You wouldn't stop moving.  I’m pretty sure the only reason you survived your toddler years is because dragons are virtually indestructible.  I don’t know how many times you squirmed your way right off the changing table.  You were fearless from the beginning.  Which is a good thing for you, a terrible thing for your parents and our nerves.”  

Clary laughed at the thought of her parents trying to keep a tiny redheaded daredevil from jumping off, rolling off, or climbing on things around their home.  “I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time.  Am I the reason for those grey hairs?” she teased.  

“A good number of them, yes,” Luke smiled.  “And I am sure this little guy will be just as bad.  But so far, so good, huh Jonathan?”  The baby yawned, looked up at his father and immediately fell back asleep.  “That’s right.”

They finished changing him and Luke cradled the little boy in his arms again.  “You’re going to drive your big sister crazy, aren’t you?”  A sly glance at Clary had her grinning as well.

“You know he is.  Probably payback for everything I did to you guys while I was his age.”  Leaning in, she kissed her brother’s head.  “You rest.  I should probably go check on Izzy and make sure she isn’t cooking.  I haven’t tried it yet but Alec keeps warning us how bad it is.”  Alec and Jace were both adamant about not eating anything Izzy made.  She did not go to this much trouble to get her mother back only to lose her to her girlfriend’s cooking.

As if on cue, Izzy came into the room, pouting as she looked at Clary.  “Magnus and Alec are here.  Alec kicked me out of the kitchen.  Something about Jocelyn has been through enough as it is.  I just wanted to help.”

“Babe, you helped deliver my baby brother.  I don’t think we could have done it without you.  You don’t need to cook too.”  Breathing a sigh of relief when Izzy nodded, Clary turned to Luke.  “Can I hold him?”  She’d wanted to since the moment Jonathan was born but it seemed better to let her mom and Luke hold him first.  Now, it was her turn.

Luke placed Jonathan in her arms and she smiled at him as he wrapped a strand of her hair in his tiny fist.  “Hi,” she said, soft and breathless.  “I’m your sister.  And this is Izzy, and we are going to spoil you so much.”

Izzy nodded, looking at Jonathan over Clary’s shoulder.  “And we are going to be your favorites. You can’t just like Jace because he’s pretty, or Alec because he’s tall, or Magnus because he’s magical, or Simon because...well, everyone just likes Simon for no real reason.  But we are your favorites, okay?”

Clary laughed and nodded. “Listen to her.  She’s very smart.”  Using her free hand, she tickled the baby under his chin, pulling a small laugh from him that warmed her heart.  “I’m going to teach you everything I know.  We can draw together whenever you like, and when we go flying, I’ll fly slow to make sure you don’t get left behind.”

Feeling her girlfriend’s arms tighten around her waist, Clary looked over her shoulder at Izzy.  “You are going to be an amazing big sister, you know that?”  You’re a natural.  You had nothing to be worried about.”

Looking at her brother, Clary knew Izzy was right.  “I told you she was smart,” she laughed.  Clary would give anything for this little dragon, her own flesh, and blood.  He squealed causing Clary to do the same as he pulled on her hair.  But even that, it was fine.  Jonathan could pull her hair all he wanted.  Because he was beautiful and perfect.  A brother she never knew she’d been waiting for her entire life.  

“I love you, Jonathan.  If you ever need anything, I’ll be there for you.”

“We all will,” Izzy added and Clary knew for a fact.  This little dragon would know more love than anyone who ever lived.  With four protective brothers, two protective sisters and parents who would kill for him, he would never be miserable for a day in his life.  They would make sure of that.


End file.
